Thursday, February 5, 2015

9: A BOOK THAT SCARES YOU: My Heart & Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

So this suicide pact that begins with an online chat room for people who want to die... yes, that scares me. Two adorable teenagers who have so much to offer if they could each just find in their own hearts a way to forgive, a way not to judge themselves so harshly. Instead, they make a pact to jump on April 7. Why does he want to die? What is the black sludge that eats at her soul?
Will they be successful? Check it out!

10: A BOOK SET IN HIGH SCHOOL: NONE OF THE ABOVE by I. W. Gregorio

This one just blew my mind. You just have to read it. Period. No summary, no review. Just read it. Learn about a topic you aren't familiar with, remember that who you are comes from within you and read it. Check it out on GoodReads because it isn't available until April 7.

11: A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'V NEVER READ BEFORE: Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

OH MY GOODNESS! Now I have to listen to each and every one of the songs on Hayden's playlist that he left behind for his best friend, Sam. Music plays a strong role in this book, as indicate by the title, but it also shows how so many people are connected to one another; you are never really alone. It also reminds you that you never really know someone unless they want you to. Best friend or not, there are some things you just don't share. Check it out!

So, how is your challenge going? let me now amy@beyond-books.org.Missed what the challenge is all about? Click to read the original blog post. Follow the links within the post to get to the list of categories for the reading challenge. EMAIL ME and let me know if you are going to do the challenge with me!

Monday, February 2, 2015

So, how is that reading challenge going? This weekend was a great opportunity for me to catch up on my reading:

Book 6: A Book Your Mom Loves
My mom asked me to read Charm School by Nelson Demille for this. She loves the realistic possibility that a school like this could exist. I had a difficult time with it. There is a lot of Russian, military technical information, and I now know more than I ever could have wanted about the helicopters in this book. However, I did love the story. Is it possible? Sure. Do the ethics of it make me ill? Oh, yes, but that's why I am not in a position to do what had to be done. Intrigued? Check it out!

Book 7: A Book by a Female Author
I desperately wanted to read Gayle Forman's I Was Here, and this category seems to be the best place to put it. you may be familiar with Forman's If I Stay, as it was recently released as a movie, but you really need to read her work. I Was Here is both heartbreaking and beautiful. There are lines you will read again and again just hoping that they will sink into your soul to live forever. Here is a quote that stays with me:
"How can you be believe someone to be beautiful and amazing and just about the most magical person you've ever known, when it turns out she was in such pain that she had to drink poison that robbed her cells of oxygen until her heart had no choice but to stop beating?"
Really intense, really worth the read. Check it out!

Book 8: A Book That Made You Cry
Oh, there are so many that could fit this category right now, but The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand really brought me to tears so many times, for so many reasons. The main character is dealing with the recent suicide of her brother, who happens to be named Tyler. I lost my son Tyler to suicide five years ago, so you can imagine when I read:
"....Ty's image has grown hazy in my mind. I can't visualize the Ty that isn't dead. My brain gravitates toward the end. The body. The coffin. The grave."
Yep, this one made me cry. More than just being a tearjerker, it's a also honest and hopeful. She learns that life does go on you just have to forgive... mostly, forgive yourself.
This book won't be released until February 10, but you can put a hold on it now!

So, how is your challenge going? let me now amy@beyond-books.org.Missed what the challenge is all about? Click to read the original blog post. Follow the links within the post to get to the list of categories for the reading challenge. Email me and let me know if you are going to do the challenge with me!